Modular Metal Cooling Lines for EV Battery Thermal Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current cooling lines for electric vehicle batteries are limited by their one-piece design, which restricts scalability, lacks fire resistance, and requires costly thermal insulation, posing safety risks due to thermal runaway issues.
Innovation Solution
A modular cooling line system comprising tubular connecting elements and hose-shaped line elements made of metal, allowing for complex geometrical arrangements and easy adaptation, with features like T-piece connections, corrugated hoses, and standardized connections for enhanced scalability and fire resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If one-piece plastic cooling lines are used, then manufacturing is simple, but scalability is limited and fire resistance is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling line system is divided into multiple modular components including connecting elements with connection ends and line elements that can be assembled together. This segmentation enables scalability while maintaining manufacturing simplicity through standardized modular units.
Solution Approach 2:
The connecting elements are designed with universal connection ends that can connect to different line elements and functional modules, creating a multi-functional system that adapts to various cooling requirements while using the same basic components.
2Ease of manufacture
If one-piece plastic cooling lines are used, then manufacturing is simple, but fire resistance is insufficient requiring thermal insulation
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses metal materials (aluminum or steel) for the connecting elements and line elements, replacing plastic with materials that inherently provide fire resistance while maintaining ease of manufacture through standard metalworking processes.
3Reliability
If metal line elements are used, then fire resistance is improved, but weight and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent specifies thin-walled metal construction for line elements, changing the wall thickness parameter to reduce weight while maintaining fire resistance. Aluminum is preferred over steel when weight is critical, providing fire protection with lower density material.
4Adaptability or versatility
If modular design with multiple components is used, then scalability is improved, but assembly complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling line is segmented into standardized connecting elements and line elements with uniform connection interfaces, enabling scalable assembly while controlling complexity through repetition of standard components.
Solution Approach 2:
Universal connection ends are designed to work with multiple types of line elements and functional modules, reducing the variety of unique parts needed and simplifying assembly procedures across different system configurations.
5Weight of moving object
If plastic cooling lines are used, then weight is reduced, but thermal insulation is required increasing costs
Solution Approach 1:
Metal materials inherently provide both structural integrity and thermal management properties, eliminating the need for separate thermal insulation layers while maintaining appropriate weight characteristics for the application.
Data Source
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Figure 6a~6c
AI summary
A modular cooling line system (10), in particular for batteries of electric vehicles, is described, comprising: at least one tubular connecting element (11) made of a first metal; and at least two tubular or hose-shaped line elements (15, 16) made of a second metal, which line elements (15, 16) are connected or connectable by means of the connecting element (11), or at least one such line element (15, 16) that can be connected to a functional module to be cooled, preferably a battery, by means of the connecting element (11).